Man admits firing cannon device that killed woman

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — A 41-year-old man has pleaded guilty to felony charges after setting off a homemade, cannon-like device that killed his longtime girlfriend in San Diego County.

U-T San Diego reports that Richard Dale Fox pleaded guilty Monday to exploding a destructive device causing great bodily injury and possession of materials to make a destructive device.

Prosecutors say Fox was drinking with friends in 2012 when he set off the device. The explosion sent fragments into his trailer and killed Jeanette Ogara, who was his girlfriend and the mother of his 4-year-old daughter.

Lawyers from both sides of the case agreed that Ogara's death was an accident. Officials say Fox could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison at a hearing scheduled for Sept. 15.